Erika Dulce

Erika Dulce is the current queen of Dulcinea. She is best known for being a singer as well as queen, and for being one of the most generous rulers in Kelia.

Early Life
Erika was born in Kattenland to Erik and Allyson Cattaline. She was named Erika Allyson after her parents. She was born on the same day as Kattenland's Princess Anneliese, and there was a celebration throughout the land. Allyson felt as though Erika was somehow special, being born on the same day as the princess.

Erika liked to wander around the village as a little girl. She loved the flowers, her favorite of them being the Katten Blue Rose. She would also sing as she wandered, which drew the attention of the villagers. The local baker, in particular, enjoyed listening to her songs. Another thing she liked to do was play with the stray kittens. She loved the kittens, but the full-grown cats would shy away from her. She liked doing this because the family was too poor to keep a pet.

Kattenland Plague
When Erika was fourteen, King Kendall of Kattenland became ill, and a few nobles also had the same disease. When the illness spread to the villagers, Allyson and Erik asked their daughter to stay indoors so she wouldn't catch it. Erika was very sad about this, but she obeyed. On the day that King Kendall died, Erika noticed Allyson start to walk more slowly. The day after that, both of Erika's parents caught the illness. They arranged that Madame Carp should become Erika's new guardian should they die. Erika was very scared, as everyone else who had caught the illness had died from it.

Two months later, a week after Erika turned fifteen, Allyson and Erik both died of the illness. Erika sat by her mother's bedside until Allyson died. It was the saddest day of Erika's life. Madame Carp then came to take her.

Life as a Seamstress
Erika only accepted work with Madame Carp because she had no other option. She learned that her parents had borrowed a lot of money from Madame Carp to feed her as a baby. Due to her emotional state, Erika didn't want to work as she was expected to, but she did, even though she hated it. She had a sense of honor and felt she had to pay off her parents' debt. Her dream, however, was to be a singer. She sang as she worked and believed she would be able to follow her dream once her debt was paid. She made friends with Bertie.

One day, while wandering outdoors, Erika found a kitten acting like a puppy. She adopted him and named him Wolfie.

Madame Carp was determined to keep Erika at work, since Erika was never paid. Carp kept adding extra "interest" so that Erika would never be free. Erika, however, was positive that one day she would pay off her debt.

Meeting Princess Anneliese
When she was seventeen, Erika was caught singing in the town square by Madame Carp. Carp stole all the money that Erika earned. Princess Anneliese, who had been listening, gave Erika some money for her song. She and Anneliese then saw eye to eye, and Erika was very surprised to find that Anneliese looked identical to her, except for their hair color. Erika and Anneliese became friends and introduced their cats to each other. When Anneliese left, she promised to have Erika sing at the palace.

The next day, Julian came to Madame Carp's dress shop to see Erika. Erika was very excited as she thought that Anneliese had sent for her to sing at Kattenland Palace. Unfortunately, the princess was actually missing. Julian asked Erika to impersonate Princess Anneliese. She was reluctant at first, not wanting to face the consequences should she be caught. However, Erika soon realized that her friend was in trouble and agreed.

Life as a Princess
Julian taught Erika how to act like a princess. He then presented her to Anneliese's mother, Queen Genevieve. Erika fooled everyone, including the evil Preminger, who immediately departed to find out how the princess had escaped. Fortunately for her, Anneliese really had escaped, though Preminger was suspicious as Erika had told the Queen that she had run away, rather than been kidnapped.

The next day, Erika was amazed to find that Anneliese's maid served her breakfast in bed. Later that morning, she took a bath in the castle. She sensed that Wolfie felt down about being different from the other cats, so she sang to him about how he should be himself. King Dominick, who had opened Anneliese's bedroom her to tell her he had disguised himself as a page, heard Erika singing from the bathroom. He loved her voice and listened to the whole song.

That evening, Erika was uneasy, as Julian had not returned with the real princess. Preminger came in and escorted her to meet King Dominick. When they met, Dominick told her why he had disguised himself. They sang a song together and fell in love over the next few days. The night before the intended wedding, Dominick praised Erika's honest and down-to-earth attitude. This made Erika even more uneasy, as she knew she was living a lie. Worse, she was falling in love with Dominick.

Later that night, Erika was about to tell Queen Genevieve the truth when Dominick proposed to her. They were about to kiss when Preminger barged in. He had found the real princess and trapped her in the Kattenland royal gold mine. He exposed Erika as an imposter and made up a story about how she and Julian had killed the princess by collapsing the mine on her. Erika tried to explain herself to Dominick, but before she could finish, the guards took her to the dungeon and locked her up.

Saving Kattenland
Erika was deeply sad, as she believed Preminger had actually killed Anneliese and possibly Julian too. She tried to comfort herself by singing, but it failed.

The next day, she knew she had to escape since she was innocent. She sang her guard to sleep and attached to hairpin to a rod of hay. Using it, she grabbed the key from his belt. She ran away, only to run into another guard. The first guard caught up with her, ordering the second to lock her up, but the second guard said that his orders were to take Erika to the castle. When they were out of the dungeon, Erika stomped on the guard's foot. He revealed himself to be Dominick in disguise, who didn't believe Preminger's story and had come to rescue Erika.

As they were sneaking through Queen Genevieve's wedding to Preminger, Princess Anneliese appeared. She revealed to Preminger that she was the real princess. Preminger was exposed, and his henchmen, Nick and Nack, ran away like crazy. Erika stopped Nack by tripping him. Soon, Preminger and his minions were captured and arrested.

Life as a Singer
As a gift of gratitude to Erika, Anneliese paid off her debt. The princess also exposed Madame Carp's mistreatment of her seamstresses, putting her out of business. Erika was delighted to be free and immediately prepared for world travel.

On her way out of Kattenland, Dominick caught up to Erika. He wanted her to stay, but Erika wished to follow her dream. She agreed to take the diamond ring he had presented to her earlier.

Erika traveled to Bolovia, Reikiland, Lunenmeyer, Selenia, Paladia, Apollonia, Luxenland, Terpsichoria, and Akatria before arriving in Kattenland again. During her time in Luxenland, she realized she missed Kattenland and King Dominick, and decided to travel home. Upon arriving in Kattenland, Erika sang once for Anneliese and her mother before going to Dulcinea to find Dominick.

Queen of Dulcinea
Dominick was surprised to see Erika again, but very happy. After a month of stay in Kattenland with Anneliese and Julian, Erika and Dominick got married in a double wedding, where Anneliese and Julian also got married. After the wedding, the two couples spent a month in Akatria for their honeymoons, where Erika continued to sing. They then parted ways and Erika headed to Dulcinea to be officially crowned queen.

Three years later, Erika felt homesick and decided to go visit Anneliese. Upon arriving in Kattenland with her new handmaiden Bertie (who had used to work with her as a seamstress), Erika and Anneliese joyfully greeted each other. Erika met Anneliese's newborn daughter Misha and sang to her.

Unbeknownst to Erika, Bismarck, King Dominick's ambassador, was unhappy with Dominick's choice of bride and was plotting against her. He sent a letter to Erika claiming Dominick wished to see her, so Erika immediately went back to Dulcinea. When she returned, however, Dominick was not there, and Bismarck told her that the King had urgent business in Lunenmeyer. Bismarck claimed he had been ordered not to tell Erika why.

The next day, she found herself locked in the royal stable. After talking to Nick and Nack, she found out that someone who didn't like her had teamed up with Preminger and locked her in. Later, when a guard came by, Erika tricked him into letting her out. She escaped on a horse named Fleur to Kattenland. To protect Erika, Anneliese went to Dulcinea disguised as her while Erika stayed in Kattenland Palace.

A few days later, Dominick entered Kattenland Palace and revealed that Anneliese had disappeared. Although Dominick asked Erika to stay in Kattenland for her safety, Erika didn't. She took Fleur back to Dulcinea Palace after Dominick and Julian were gone. Upon arrival, she saw Preminger bring Anneliese (disguised as Erika) back to the palace. She witnessed Preminger accuse Bismarck of kidnapping Anneliese, and Nick and Nack appeared. They had betrayed Preminger for Bismarck. Erika demanded why Bismarck was with Nick and Nack when Preminger's dog, Midas, revealed Anneliese. Anneliese told Erika that Bismarck was plotting against her. Preminger, pretending to be on Erika's side, ordered the guards to seize Bismarck, and Erika told the guards to do just that. Unfortunately, Bismarck, Nick and Nack escaped the guards, grabbed Erika and Anneliese, and locked them in Erika's bedroom.

Tigger, one of Serafina and Wolfie's kittens, scared Nick away by growling like a dog. His brothers, sisters and parents started barking at Nack, and his sister Melissa grabbed the keys from Nack's pocket. All the cats then unlocked the door, setting the girls free.

Erika met Madame Carp, now weak and starving, near the front doors. Carp asked the Queen to forgive her. Erika did, but asked for her to help her.

Erika, Anneliese, Carp and the cats piled into a carriage and followed the tracks of a carriage belonging to Julian and Dominick. She soon caught up to Bismarck, who was also on their trail. Anneliese looked behind and saw that Nick and Nack were pursuing them. They all stopped by a lakeside, meeting Julian, Dominick, Preminger, Bismarck and Midas. Preminger and Bismarck began accusing each other of plotting against Erika along with Dominick, but Anneliese revealed that Bismarck and Preminger had been plotting together. Dominick's guard arrested Bismarck, and Preminger, Nick and Nack were turned over to Madame Carp. They were forced to sew dresses in Carp's new shop in Dulcinea.

Daughter
Erika now has a baby daughter named Melody Allyson Dulce.

Personality
Erika is sweet, kind and ambitious. She is a great lover of music and loves to sing. Being formerly very poor, she feels empathy for the poor of Dulcinea and has created several new policies that gives them more money. She is independent and doesn't give up, as seen when she was determined to pay off her parents' debt and follow her dream. She is very accepting of other people, and she is very brave and will do whatever it takes for the people she cares about.

Allyson Cattaline
Erika loved her mother and looked up to her. Allyson had a love for singing and taught her favorite song to Erika. Likewise, Erika was devastated when Allyson died of illness. She had been grieving for a long time, which was only made worse by her mistreatment by Madame Carp. Erika still dreams about her mother and believes that by singing, she keeps her alive in her heart.

Erik Cattaline
Erika wasn't as close to her father as to her mother, but she still loved her father very much. She was just as devastated as losing him as losing her mother, and grieved for him as long as she grieved for her mother. Like her mother, Erika keeps her father alive in her heart by singing.

Madame Carp
Erika was badly mistreated by Madame Carp, who saw her as an inconvenience. As such, Erika harbored resentful feelings for her former boss until she found her poor and starving. She still wasn't keen to forgive her with no repercussions: she made sure Madame Carp did something for her before giving complete forgiveness.

Wolfie
Erika loves Wolfie very much and sees him as her "baby".

Anneliese Katten
Erika and Anneliese have been best friends since they met. They have a strong sister-like bond. Erika has already demonstrated that she would do anything for Anneliese.

Julian Katten
Erika first met Julian on the same day she met Anneliese. They are very good friends.

Dominick Dulce
Erika is in love with Dominick, and they have a strong romance. He loves her just as much as she loves him. Dominick respects Erika's dream to be a singer and sometimes sings with her.

Genevieve Katten
Erika and Genevieve had a strained relationship at first, as Genevieve at one point believed Erika had caused a mine to collapse to kill her daughter. For a while, Erika was angry at Genevieve for disbelieving her, but she forgave her since it was Preminger's fault.

Preminger Gardini
Erika resents Preminger for first causing her to be unjustly arrested, and for plotting with Bismarck against her. Likewise, Preminger doesn't like Erika since she foiled his plans to become king of Kattenland.

Story References
Stories written about Erika Dulce by SaeryenKatten, chronicling the fan-made events of her life:
 * My Name is Erika
 * Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper II